STRENGTHENING U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE, WORKFORCE, AND DATA SYSTEMS - SINCE 2006, PUERTO RICO HAS BEEN HIT BY AN ECONOMIC CRISIS THAT FORCED THE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE TOUGH BUT NECESSARY DECISIONS REGARDING ITS SPENDING WHILE PROMOTING BETTER USE OF SCARCE RESOURCES. AS A RESULT, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WERE LAID OFF, CAUSING THE PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (PRDOH) TO FACE AN EVER-INCREASING STAFF SHORTAGE. IN ADDITION, THE RESULTS OF AN ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY ANALYSIS SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE AGE OF PRDOH CURRENT STAFF IS 52 YEARS AND THEY HAVE AN AVERAGE OF 21 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN GOVERNMENT. THIS HAS LED TO AN AGING OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND A LOOMING LOSS OF KNOWLEDGE AND INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY. IN 2017, HURRICANES IRMA AND MARIA DESTROYED LARGE PARTS OF THE ISLAND, LEAVING MANY PUERTO RICANS WITHOUT A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE AND TRIGGERING A SIGNIFICANT BRAIN DRAIN TO THE MAINLAND TO FIND BETTER JOB OPPORTUNITIES. AN EARTHQUAKE SWARM HIT SOUTHERN PUERTO RICO

Summary

STRENGTHENING U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE, WORKFORCE, AND DATA SYSTEMS - SINCE 2006, PUERTO RICO HAS BEEN HIT BY AN ECONOMIC CRISIS THAT FORCED THE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE TOUGH BUT NECESSARY DECISIONS REGARDING ITS SPENDING WHILE PROMOTING BETTER USE OF SCARCE RESOURCES. AS A RESULT, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WERE LAID OFF, CAUSING THE PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (PRDOH) TO FACE AN EVER-INCREASING STAFF SHORTAGE. IN ADDITION, THE RESULTS OF AN ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY ANALYSIS SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE AGE OF PRDOH CURRENT STAFF IS 52 YEARS AND THEY HAVE AN AVERAGE OF 21 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN GOVERNMENT. THIS HAS LED TO AN AGING OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND A LOOMING LOSS OF KNOWLEDGE AND INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY. IN 2017, HURRICANES IRMA AND MARIA DESTROYED LARGE PARTS OF THE ISLAND, LEAVING MANY PUERTO RICANS WITHOUT A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE AND TRIGGERING A SIGNIFICANT BRAIN DRAIN TO THE MAINLAND TO FIND BETTER JOB OPPORTUNITIES. AN EARTHQUAKE SWARM HIT SOUTHERN PUERTO RICO